Frozen
by iEvenstarEstel
Summary: Continuaton of Iellix's "Triptych", which is a continuation of my "Cloudy With A Chance of Connors". Trapped alone in a frozen, barren wilderness, Eye Patch Connor must face literal and metaphorical demons as Connor and Abby work to rescue him.
1. Chapter 1

_This tale is a continuation of Iellix's brilliant tale "Triptych", which is a continuation of my own story "Cloudy With A Chance Of Connors". It is necessary to at least read Iellix's tale to understand anything in this one. This takes place a few months after the epilogue in "Triptych"._

_Furthermore I don't wish to cast aspersions upon the character of Philiip Burton, as will be played by the most excellent Alexander Siddig in Series 4, but I needed someone to be a shmuck, and I didn't want it to be Lester._

Frozen  
2010 Evenstar Estel

Connor absolutely hated having to do this, but as he dragged the last soldier's unconscious body into the holding cell and secured the lock upon exiting, he knew it was the only possible course of action. He knew any one of them probably have helped if he'd asked, but he didn't want any of them to be held responsible for his and Abby's actions. 'Drake' as the other Connor was called to everyone except the two he knew intimately, was the soldiers' friend and comrade in arms. They would've done it out of loyalty to their missing brother, but undoubtedly would've paid a high price because of it. Connor knew his other self wouldn't want that, so now he and Abby found themselves with gasmasks on along with Eva wearing the one fitted especially for her. Using the small console he'd adapted after an iPad, Connor keyed in the command to reverse the air flow in the ventilation system. All the noxious gas was sucked out of the ARC and expelled into the atmosphere. After a half hour it was finally safe to breath again. The soldiers would waken in a few hours with splitting headaches, but they'd recover.

Disabling the ARC's security system along with its CCTV had been effortless. Afterall, Connor had designed and installed it himself. That was one thing that made Connor Temple the most dangerous man in the building at any given time. He could destroy it utterly with a few simple codes typed into any one of the computers. Naturally when Doctor Philip Burton had been brought in by the Minister to co-chair the operations and research that went on at the ARC, he'd had his own people sweep the system and put in their own subversive programs. Connor had expected it and had spent a quiet evening at home on the couch hacking with his computer and planting his own programs under the new ones. He simply never told anyone, except his two lovers of course, which had earned him special attention for such a display of intellectual prowess. Along with Abby, Connor had entered the ARC, subdued the night guards and was presently setting up the devices he'd need to open an anomaly to the right place and time. Abby was upstairs in the lab, working as fast as she could to sequence their lover's DNA as well as the additional compounds that lined the cells of his hair follicles. They thanked their lucky stars there'd been a viable sample in Eye Patch's hair brush at home. They needed more than just Temple DNA to operate Connor's invention. It was one thing to open an anomaly a dimension of origin. There were energy signatures attached to all those Connors they'd first encountered well over a year ago. This was far trickier. Their Connor wasn't trapped in another dimension. He was trapped in this Earth's past.

Connor felt his guts churn at the idea that his beloved was alone and helpless in an icy wilderness with no more supplies than what was kept in the pockets of his uniform - a knife, hopefully, but little else. He'd been gone for three days now and there'd been almost no sleep in the flat since the occurrence. An anomaly had opened and the team had gone to investigate. They knew almost immediately that whatever was on the other side, it was set during an ice age. Snow, ice and a bitterly cold wind flooded out from the anomaly. There were no creature sounds or anything else of that nature, so Connor began to set up the locking device. Eva had always been an obedient dog where her Connor was concerned. Every since her first Abby had perished, she'd been devoted to her scarred up old master. Her first instinct was always to protect him, so when she'd broken away from his side and ran headlong through the anomaly, the team had been astonished. Eye Patch hadn't given it a second thought and reacted instantly, following after his dog. Connor and Abby's first instinct had been to follow after them, but seconds later Eva emerged, wagging her tail and bounding over to her other two humans. However there no sign of their third and when the anomaly flickered and died without warning, Abby screamed. Connor stood there in shock and Eva whimpered.

Hours later Connor was throwing an thirty pound swivel chair straight through Burton's office window an into the hallway. Abby had been surprised and startled by Connor's reaction, but she most definitely understood it. Burton thought it risky and expensive to mount a rescue effort for Mr. Church. He thought the wiser course of action would be to simply cut their losses and move forward. Most of the ARC personnel knew that Connor, Abby and Drake were _together_ in some capacity. During the honeymoon phase of their relationship, in the first few months since Drake arrived, they'd been caught in one pairing or another or sometimes all three somewhere in the ARC by either a soldier or by a key personnel. Lester still hadn't forgiven Connor and Drake for the _incident_ in his office, but nonetheless argued vehemently on Connor and Abby's behalf that something should be done to rescue their lost third. At the least he was an invaluable asset to the team. Burton held the purse strings and had the authority to usurp Lester. Lester's lack of power had been a thorny situation for months.

After Burton had ordered Connor forcibly removed from the ARC, Lester had spoken quietly as Connor was hauled away,"Do what you have to." Three days of planning later, Connor and Abby were executing their rescue mission. Danny, Sarah and Becker had all inconspicuously offered to help in some way, knowing for certain the couple would try something, but they'd been left out of the equation. The less people involved the better, but the gesture was deeply appreciated. Connor had not been permitted to return to the ARC and Abby had stayed away on principle. Now she waited impatiently for the computer to finish turning the DNA sequence into code. Connor and his physicist counterpart had modified the device that had once brought seventeen Connors to this dimension. The device operated to open anomalies based on specific genetic codes and the energy signature attached at the cellular level to return the men to their own worlds. They hadn't the luxury of a blood sample, and this time they didn't need to open a portal to another world. They needed to open one to the past, but it had to be the exact place and time where their lover was trapped. Connor worked furiously to integrate his various anomaly related technology in order to create the specific opening. Two hours later he thought he'd done it. There wouldn't be time for a test. A million different things could go horribly irrevocably wrong, but he didn't care. Abby didn't care either. They'd destroy the whole world for their Connor. Love was blind and love was crazy. The two didn't want to exist without their third. They'd either get him back, or die trying.

Abby came running down the ramp towards Connor. Eva came to attention, standing up from where she'd been hiding under the work station. The poor dog definitely felt guilty over her foolish actions. She'd spent the past three days whimpering and lamenting and hoarding Eye Patch's dirty laundry upstairs on her bed simply because it still smelled like him. Abby handed Connor the disk with the information he needed. He quickly went to work transferring and integrating the data. Meanwhile Abby gathered the supplies Connor would need. She returned and helped him dress in the thermal clothing and the parka. He was outfitted with weapons that could operate in extreme cold as well as a few supplies he'd potentially need. He didn't plan on staying any longer than it took to find his other.

When an anomaly was opened in the center of the Arc's hub and a whoosh of cold air came through Abby breathed a sigh of relief. Connor kissed her goodbye, hard and passionate.

"I'll bring him back," spoke Connor, holding her face between his hands. "If... if I don't find him..."

"You will!" she replied, trying her best to bolster his confidence.

"If I don't find him, it'll be because I'm dead. I'm sorry Abby. Do you understand, sweetheart?" Abby nodded, starting to cry. "I'm not going to give up, but when hypothermia starts to set in, I'll get disoriented. I won't know what direction I'm walking..."

"I don't want to hear it! I know what's at stake, alright? Just go!"

"I love you."

"I love you too. I'll be waiting." He kissed her again, then whistled for Eva. The dog ran to his side, eager and determined. Connor ruffled her ears. "Time to redeem yourself." With a final look to Abby, Connor and Eva walked through the anomaly into a world of snow and ice.

Connor immediately began to shiver. The wilderness was nothing but snow, ice and rock. He couldn't see much further than a couple hundred feet in front of him in any direction. Fortunately it was still daytime, but he couldn't see the sun and wouldn't be able to tell that night was falling until it was already upon him. The quick winds and swirling snowfall bit at his face and his nostrils and lungs stung with every intake of breath. He scanned for any sign of Connor but there was nothing but blinding white. At his side, Eva was sniffing all over the ground, searching for any scent she could follow, seemingly impervious to the cold. Whatever part of her was from a wolf was most definitely an asset. She must've found something as after a quick sharp bark she was off in a run. Quickly Connor followed after her, calling for her. The dog stopped intermittently and waited for him to catch up before continuing her pursuit.

Connor trudged after Eva for nearly an hour, growing ever more exhausted and colder. He hated to imagine what he'd find if they ever located the man they sought. No one could survive three days of this, even if they managed to find shelter. There were no trees, so there'd be nothing to burn for a fire. There were no creatures or animals, so they're be nothing to hunt for eating. It was a completely barren landscape. A frozen hell. As Connor rounded an jetty of blackened rock he saw something stark in contrast to the pure white snow. There was a splash of blood and it looked fairly recent as it was still dark and visible on the snow. Eva was circling and sniffing it. She looked up at Connor and whimpered, her ears going back. Connor knelt down and touched the blood but found it already frozen, which was no surprise, considering it had to be at least minus thirty degrees Celsius. Eva whined and set off again, following a fresh scent.

It wasn't too long before Connor saw the location to which Eva was tracking. There's been drops of blood in the snow leading them like breadcrumbs. There a few meters up was the mouth to a cave. The rock looked shiny and black, no doubt covered in ice. Connor wasn't sure he could climb it at all, let alone safely, but Eva was bouncing and yelping at the base. If his Connor was anywhere in the stark wilderness, it was up in that cave. Thankfully the heavy rubber soles of his boots let him get a reasonable foothold. The leather gloves on his hands hadn't done much to keep him warm, but they gave him purchase on the few outcroppings he could grip. It was a treacherous struggle, but he managed to get himself the top and to the mouth of the cave.

The smell emanating from the inside was putrid, similar to that of rotting meat. He'd brought a small torch with him and with trepidation he shone it into the cave. There was blood everywhere. Connor's stomach roiled at the sight in combination from the smell. He looked around and there deep in the recess of icy stone was a massive blood covered body. Given the fact that the thing was covered head to toe in thick white hair or fur, Connor could only assume it was the remains of the mythical Yeti. In another context he'd have been fascinated. Connor had a gun with him and he unholstered it, holding it with shaking hands as he approached the Yeti's body. When he got close, he nudged it with his boot. Nothing happened. Connor then kicked it hard, still nothing. Believing it to be dead he came around and pushed it over with his foot on to its back. It was clear where all the blood had come from. The Yeti at been slit open from his stomach up to his chest. The intestines bulged out, but fortunately for the most part had started to freeze. To Connor's utter horror he found Eye Patch had been trapped under the huge body. Connor dropped to his knees and pulled off his gloves. He quickly ran his hands all over his lover's body, searching for signs of life. His skin was so cold to the touch it almost felt like it was burning him. When he found a thready pulse at the base of Eye Patch's jaw he choked on a sob of relief. He was alive! Connor tore off his heavy coat and wrapped it around the unconscious man, cursing himself for not being smart enough to bring another along with him.

"Connor! Come, wake up up!" said Connor as he shook Eye Patch. After a few minutes there was still no response. Knowing time was of the essence, Connor wasted no more and quickly undressed and clothed his counterpart in the warm garments before hoisting him up over his shoulder in a fireman's carry and making his way to the mouth of the cave. There was no easy way to get them both down, so keeping the grip of his life around his lover's waist, Connor slid down the rockface, falling hard on the ground and letting his body take the entirely of the impact when they landed on the ground. He'd be sore and bruised in the morning, but at least his quarry was uninjured. Eva was overjoyed at seeing her master again, licking all over his face, but receiving no response.

"Enough of that, Eva, we've got a long walk home!" Connor admonished, lifting the other Connor up in his arms, tucking his head against his shoulder. Eva led the way back. The sun was setting as the white was rapidly becoming gray. He cursed himself for not having brought a second set of warm protective clothing. After a hour carrying the weight of the other man and battling the cold in little else than a jacket and hoody, Connor could feel himself waning and the hypothermia starting to set in. He couldn't feel his feet or fingers, or even the end of his nose. The brilliant light of the anomaly stood several hundred feet ahead and Connor heartened. Suddenly Eva stopped dead in her tracks and started to growl. In the distance a vicious roar pierced the falling night. Eva went to run in the direction of the roar, but a warning from Connor stopped her. "Come on! Go to Abby!" Eva understood and turned back towards the anomaly. Together they ran as fast as Connor's feet could carry him. Behind him he heard a hulking mass lumbering in the snow, coming ever closer. His body surged with adrenaline and the desperate need to save both himself and the helpless man in his arms. Connor ran at breakneck speed, following after Eva through the anomaly. Once on the other side, Connor let his burden fall to the ground as he rushed to his machines to close the anomaly, just as the deafening roar of another Yeti echoed through the ARC.

Connor collapsed to the floor in complete exhaustion, panting hard and slowly feeling the sensations in his fingers and feet returning in the considerably warmer temperature in the ARC hub. He watched as the tearful Abby clutched her other Connor willing him to wake with kisses and caresses. When the one good eye of their lover opened and looked over at him, Connor couldn't help but let his own tears fall.

tbc...

**I couldn't come up with a better title, so any suggestions as we go along would be helpful!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Fuck! EVA!" shouted Connor as the dog disappeared through the open anomaly. He didn't even think twice and rushed on through after her. In hindsight it was the stupidest thing he'd ever done in his life. Little over a year ago he wouldn't have done it, but since he'd come to live in this dimension his instincts had dulled. He acted with his heart instead of his head almost every time there was danger. After Abby had died... his first Abby, he lost the ability to use his heart. At the least it felt like it. Little fibers of it remained while he was with Stephen, but it hadn't been the same. His poor abused heart had been dying a slow and anguished filled death, but it had never truly given up the ghost. He'd still had Eva - that stupid mutt he'd weaned since her and her sisters came into his and Abby's charge. Abby loved those dogs like they were her children and he supposed he did too in a way. Eva had been his last tie to the love of his life and no matter what, he couldn't let go. Since finding his new Abby and her Connor, his bleak gray life had filled with colour again. He was in love and he was loved and that old dog was all that was left of his old life. He hated to admit the weakness, but he'd followed the bitch through the anomaly because no matter what, he couldn't shake the fact that he loved his dog.

Connor was assaulted with the biting cold of the snow and wind the moment he stepped through. He squinted his eyes and looked for Eva, whistling for her. He heard her barking in the distance and a few moments later she was running back towards him looking like she was enjoying herself. She bounced and barked and ran circles around him. "Oi! Cool it you mangy mutt!" snarled Connor angrily. "Get your ass back home!" He pointed and gave her a stern look and Eva realized her fun was over. She obeyed and dejectedly walked back through the anomaly. Connor sighed. Poor thing, she'd never seen snow before last winter and she'd loved it. After things went pear shaped in his own timeline, the ozone layer had depleted to the point where it was virtually useless. The sea levels had dropped considerably and the temperatures were rising. It was next to impossible to grow food except in the hydroponics labs they kept in their base. Even then water was scarce. The deep underground wells they dug barely gave them enough to drink. Snow was long forgotten.

"Stupid bloody dog," he muttered to himself. He gave a shiver and went to move back through the anomaly and home. A small panic rose up inside him when he saw the lights begin to shrink and flicker. The anomaly was about to close. Fortunately he was only a few meters away, he could make it. Connor had assumed wrong when something ominous emerged from the snow that swirled all around him. The creature had snuck up on him in complete silence. When the blow hit him, Connor felt his brain rattle around inside his head as the air was knocked from his lungs as he went flying. The anomaly closed, but he was already unconscious.

He awoke abruptly, assailed by too many foreign sensations. He sucked in full lungs of oxygen, which in turn made them ache with the terrible sensation of taking in frigid air. Furthermore, the icy bite of the snow made his skin feel like it was burning. The next thing Connor became aware of was that was being dragged up the side of a rock by his ankle. He was upside down and his head was pounding with such a headache he almost felt like he might throw up. He felt too weak to move properly just yet, his head spinning and every muscle aching. He noticed his hand felt hot and sticky. With great effort he brought it to his line of sight and saw that it was covered in blood. It was then that he noticed the painful throbbing in his shoulder. The wound he'd sustained from the creature's claws had torn open his shoulder, neck and chest and he was still bleeding. For the few minutes he'd managed to look at this side of the anomaly it was entirely inhospitable to just about everything. Prey would be scarce for any creature, and Connor was pretty tasty as far as he knew. He looked up and saw only a giant furry mass with one meaty paw holding tight to his ankle, dragging him up towards the mouth of a cave. Connor felt around his body with his uninjured arm and breathed a sigh of relief when he found the six inch blade sheathed in the side of his standard issue military trousers. He hadn't even finished putting on his kevlar vest or getting a sidearm, so the knife was the only protection against what he was going to guess was probably a Yeti.

The Yeti had remained in the annals of myth and legend. There was no proof of its existence, yet it remained in the collective consciousness of mankind. Connor wished that it had stayed there. He really didn't want to be dinner. Being dragged up a rock face by your ankle was painful and disorienting and he was grateful when they reached the landing and his head was in a better position to clear. Knowing he'd likely have only one chance to defend himself and take the Yeti by surprise, Connor tightened his grip around the hilt of his knife. The Yeti dragged him into the cave and deposited him near the entrance. Connor debated making a break for it, his increasing state of hypothermia as well as his injured shoulder would prevent him from gaining any distance between him and a creature that lived every day in this environment. Furthermore, he hadn't the foggiest idea of which way to run. He'd been unconscious for some time and the location of the anomaly could be in any direction and god knows how many miles from here. He also recalled that the anomaly was weakening and surely by now it was closed. The best he could hope for would be that someone would try and find him if the anomaly reopened. He just had to survive long enough for that to happen.

The Yeti returned to finish off his prey and Connor played dead. He kept his eyes almost shut, making them into slits just so he could see enough to know when the creature was close enough to strike at it. The animal smelled terrible, a combination between lanolin and sulfur. Connor could feel its hot breath on his face and though it did stave off the chill, it smelled like undigested meat and nearly made the man wretch. When a hand the size of a dinner plate took him by his good shoulder, Connor acted. He thrust the knife hard and low into the beast's underbelly. It wasn't easy piercing the tough leathery skin and all the thick matted hair that covered its body. It wasn't until he felt the gush of hot blood over his hand that Connor knew he'd been successful. There was a deafening roar of pain from the Yeti and Connor had to quickly scrambled underneath the beast's legs to escape the slashing of its claws. With a last surge of strength, Connor gripped the knife hilt with both hands and jacked it upwards and in as deep as he could to open up the creature's guts. The viscera and blood poured from its body and the Yeti collapsed dead on the rock bed of the cave. Connor struggled out from under the body and sprawled beside it.

"Ugh! And I thought they smelled bad on the outside!" he said aloud, laughing mirthlessly to himself. He wished Connor was here to appreciate the joke. He'd also really appreciate the body heat. He climbed to his feet, but wavered and dropped down to his knees. He suddenly felt very dizzy and he couldn't focus his eyes. He felt a dull throb at the side of his head on the opposite side of where his shoulder wound was. He touched the spot with his hand and felt a lump. He must've hit his head against something when he was first attacked. Now that his adrenaline was fading and the cold was taking hold again, his strength and his senses were rapidly diminishing. He looked out the mouth of the cave and saw only whiteness. For the first time since this ordeal had begun he began to feel afraid. He'd taken on Future Predators singled handily. He'd stared down innumerable prehistoric creatures and he'd just killed a Yeti. But now he was lost and alone with little to no hope of making it back home alive. He realized he'd never see Connor or Abby again. The gravity of that suddenly sunk in.

He was good few years older than his lovers, they were still in their twenties and would be able to pick up the pieces and move on. At least they were together. In his time with them he'd seen their love deepen on so many levels. There was nothing in the world that could tear them apart, he hoped not even the loss of him. In addition the love between the three of them was as unbreakable. It hadn't always been easy, but down to their very cells they were in love. He'd known such joy that waking up every morning in their large warm bed made it worth falling asleep at night when all he wanted to do was look upon them and share whispers of affection, sweet caresses and speak promises of unending love. He'd been certain he'd never have that again, not after his Abby had died. Remembering the day before she'd been injured and he'd had to put a bullet in her to stop her suffering, Connor began to weep silently.

"Conn?" Abby asked, curled up at his side. They always dressed after making love, in case a fast escape had to be made, but she was shirtless for the moment and the soft pillows of her breasts were pressed again his ribs. He hadn't put his shirt on yet either. The warmth of skin against skin and the fine sheen of sweat upon them made their bodies hum with lingering pleasures. He always stroked her hair as they fell asleep, it lulled them both, gave them a sense of security. Their bed was little more than a mattress in a small room in the bunker, but it was the best they could manage.

"Yeah love?" he replied, pulling her coat over her shoulders before she got cold. Eva snuck in and flopped down at their feet.

"Do you ever think about what could have been?" It was a funny question coming from her. She was usually fairly pragmatic and rarely had her head in the clouds. Nowadays she was so focused on their mutual, but Magda had been taken by a pack of Future Predators a few days ago and since then Abby had been acting a little differently. He supposed she was in mourning. Zsa Zsa was with Stephen as was usual.

"No, to be honest. You thinkin' 'bout Magda?"

"No... yes... that's not what I meant. I was wondering if you ever imagined what life would've been like if things had been different. If... if... nevermind."

"No, Abbs, go on. I'm listening."

"It's stupid. I was just daydreaming, fantasizing. It's not important."

"Abby, everything you have to say is important to me. Please."

"I was just picturing us in a different life. We met at the zoo and there were no such thing as anomalies. We dated, we fell in love, we got married. We got a house and a dog. I worked with the lizards, you taught paleontology and would sometimes go on digs and I'd come along just for fun. I thought about what it would've been like to have had your children..." She stopped, suddenly embarrassed. She sat up and pulled on her shirt, hoody and coat. Connor did the same, silently mulling over her words. He'd had similar fantasies when they'd first met and all throughout their courtship, but they'd quickly been put away into a never touched corner of his mind when he first learned about Future Predators. The world was too dangerous for anything remotely resembling family. Losing Magda was hard, the idea of losing a child was inconceivable. They'd taken measures to ensure a pregnancy would never occur. She'd been brave and hadn't cried, though he knew her heart had broken. All it took was one shot of serum and that was it for Abby, no children in her future. Or his as far as he was concerned.

"Abby..."

"Don't mind me, I was just being silly. I'm sorry I said anything." Connor wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close.

"It's a beautiful dream, Abby. I would've loved all of that." She nodded and held back her tears. She threaded their fingers together, snuggling into his welcoming embrace.

"I'm okay. We've got each other. I love you, you love me. That's more than what anyone we know has. As long as we're together I'll be fine. I'm so grateful to have you Connor."

"Me too, Abby. Me too." Twenty four hours later she was dead. Now, several years on, it was him that was dying. He wiped the tears from his face and gave himself a mental shake. He couldn't give up now. Connor would find a way to locate him and in no time flat they'd be back in their large king sized bed under the massive down comforter, rolling around naked and Abby giggling. There'd be smiles and kisses and for a little while he'd forget the past completely and forget that she wasn't _his_ Abby. Connor would be there at his back with strong hands and sweet mouth biting along his shoulders. Those two had brought him back to life in every imaginable way. He knew they'd be okay without him and that gave him a measure of comfort, but for himself it was a sadness that cored his soul out.

He shivered and rubbed his hands together to try and stimulate a little warmth. There was nothing to make a fire with, unless he burned up the Yeti's body, but that wouldn't last very long once the hair was gone and it wouldn't render much heat to begin with. It would get dark eventually and he knew the temperature would plummet overnight. He knew he wouldn't survive. With no other option before him, Connor dragged the Yeti's fowl body deeper into the cave, where at the least he could avoid the wind-chill. Finding a small crevice, he burrowed into it and pulled the hairy body against him. The thing stunk. Cuddling with a dead Yeti was definitely at the very bottom of his favourite things to do. He closed his eyes and imagined being sandwiched between Connor and Abby instead. Connor seemed to have developed a fetish for his neck and loved to kiss and bite at it, while Abby on the other hand just loved to kiss his face, always paying special attention to his scarred eye. She'd told him it was sexy. He knew how ugly most people thought it was, but Abby seemed to really love it. So did Connor for that matter. They never made him feel like the monster he sometimes saw in the mirror. They were never afraid to touch him, or kiss him. They thought he was beautiful. He let foolish maudlin thoughts invade his mind. If these were his last hours alive he was going to think of things that would make him happy. He remembered all the times he, Abby and Connor had made love. He rememered breakfasts in front of the telly watching cartoons. He spun a beautiful fantasy for himself, just like his Abby had. He'd always like kids, always thought he'd have made a good father. He pictured Abby holding his or Connor's child - they'd never know which one of them got her pregnant, as the baby's DNA would match both of them. It would have this dimension's energy signature by virtue of being born within it. So he imagined their new family, sharing the love of one perfect little human being they'd created together, all three of them. It was nice. But it wasn't real. He didn't even know if his new Abby wanted kids. And even if she did, it wouldn't be a good idea. In fact it would be dangerous and stupid to even entertain it, but he couldn't stop the yearning inside for the life he could never have.

He'd stopped trembling, which was a very bad sign. That meant his body was starting to shut down. He couldn't feel his feet or his hands. He shut his eyes and pictured Abby and Connor. He pictured them as they were that morning in bed, all tousled and warm. He'd wakened with them tangled up in a mess of limbs. Abby's hand massaged his neck as he nuzzled her breasts and Connor was holding his hand, doing the same on his side of her. It was perfect. He kept the memory in his head for as long as he could, until it faded and he slipped away.

tbc...

_So, do folks want some smut with their Chapter 3 TLC? Or just lots of cuddling? Hmm? _


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Abbs? How's he doing?" asked Connor as he fought against his exhaustion and got to his feet. They weren't finished yet. The plan was not complete. Getting Connor back was only the half of it. Abby had covered Eye Patch in thermal blankets, bringing up his body temperature. He was conscious, but he wasn't talking yet. She'd packed his body with chemical warming packs made up of a combination of iron, activated carbon, cellulose, vermiculite, water and salt. They were used by the soldiers whenever they encountered anomalies such as the one they'd just pulled Eye Patch through. His head was in Abby's lap and she was caressing his face. She'd covered his head too, hoping to seal in whatever heat he could generate. Eva was pressed tightly at his side, helping any way she could, clearly relieved to have her human back.

"Pulse is good, so's his breathing. I think he's still in shock... otherwise he'd say something," said Abby, her voice drenched with worry. "How long?"

"I'll work as fast as I can, an hour tops!" Connor was dismantling everything he'd slaved over. They had to leave everything just as they'd found it for the final culmination of their plan to come together. Connor worked furiously over the next hour, returning the ARC to the state they'd found it in, including the lab upstairs, erasing every log in the system about what Abby had done with the DNA work. The equipment had been returned to where it had been in storage and together they carried Eye Patch out to the car. Abby stayed with him while Connor returned to let the soldiers out of their hold. They'd be waking up soon.

Lieutenant Monroe _was_ awake and glaring out the window of the holding cell and Connor cringed. He unlocked and opened the door. Monroe was rubbing his eyes and leaning against the door frame. "You're a bastard, Temple," the soldier groaned.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry," Connor replied.

"Did you get him back?" Connor brightened, thanking god the Lieutenant understood.

"Yeah, we did. We'll be back in a few days."

"If Burton lets you."

"Trust me. It won't be a problem." The soldier gave him a quizzical look, but moved past it.

"What do we need to do?"

"Just go back to your posts. The systems will come back online within the hour, there'll be no discrepancies in their time signatures. It'll be like nothing happened." The soldier nodded and groaned. "I really am sorry. The headache will go away with some painkillers."

"You got Church back, that's all that matters. He gonna be okay?"

"We think so... hope so... I gotta go..."

"Yeah, yeah... give him our best."

"Will do." With a final nod Connor raced to Abby's mini and got into the driver's seat. She was in the back and cradling Eye Patch. Eva sat in the front seat. Connor started the engine and drove them away from the ARC.

"We should go to the hospital, Conn," said Abby. "I'm scared that he's not talking."

"Okay, okay," Connor replied, nodding his head. He was on the verge of panicking. He was scared too. He was scared he'd found their mate too late and he'd suffered permanent damage.

"... no... " Eye Patch groaned, barely audible.

"Connor?" gasped Abby, turning his face to hers. His good eye finally focused on her as his lucidity returned.

"No.. hos.. hospital."

"But Connor..."

"Home, please guys... I want to go home." Despite his better judgment, he Connor at the wheel turned in the direction towards home. Before they exited the car Connor took a minute and used his altered iPad to bring the ARC's systems back online and implemented the program that would adjust the whole thing to make it look as if nothing in the least out of the ordinary had occurred. In the time it took to drive from the ARC to home, Eye Patch had come around and though his body was stiff and he was in pain, Connor didn't have to carry him inside, though he did lean on him heavily. Sid, Nancy and Rex were there to greet them, but a warning from Eva sent them scurrying back to their respective hiding places. The dog settled down near the diictodon's basket at the foot of the stairs and watched attentively as the pair of humans helped the injured Connor to the bathroom. By now they were all completely filthy and covered in blood, hoping it was from the Yeti and not from Eye Patch. They sat him down on the toilet and for the first time in days they all breathed a sigh of relief. They were home and they were together, as it always should be. They needed to get him undressed and into a warm shower to clean him and to raise his body temperature. They had to assess his injuries first and check for signs of frostbite. If there was any, they'd have to take him to the hospital whether he wanted to go or not.

"I'll get a bin bag, his clothes are ruined and the chemical heat packs will be cooling down," muttered Abby, still feeling worried and tense despite them being together again. She cast a concerned glance at Eye Patch, whose head was hung low and shoulders were slumped. She left the bathroom, feeling tears starting to fall down her cheeks. Connor turned his attention to the man he'd risked life and limb to rescue.

"I'm gonna start with your boots. If you've got frostbite on them it's gonna hurt like hell. I'm really sorry, but it's got to be done. Understand?" Connor asked as he kneeled down. His counterpart nodded his head. Connor started by loosening and removed the laces on the combat boots before gingerly pulling each boot off. Eye Patch groaned, but he didn't cry out. "Can you move your toes?" The other man nodded and did as he asked. Connor observed as the toes wiggled underneath the socks. "That's a really good sign. Okay, socks next. If there's any damaged the fabric's probably stuck to the skin. I'm really sorry..."

"S'okay," whispered Eye Patch. "Just do it." Gingerly, Connor peeled off the socks and found only red, but otherwise whole and undamaged toes and feet.

"Blimey, I'm amazed. After three days in that environment I was sure..."

"Not days, love, can't have been. I think it was a few hours. I wouldn't have lasted the night."

"But it was days on our side, three horrible days without you." Eye Patch laughed to himself.

"Well somehow you found me after a just a few hours on that side. Good thing, I'd have hated to have been a Wampa's supper!"

"A Wampa? Seriously?" Connor looked into Eye Patch's eye to look for a sign he was joking. He didn't seem to be.

"Pretty much exactly. Right down to the horns and teeth."

"Wow."

"I know."

"Think Lucas knows more than we think he does?"

"It would be worth investigating."

"Another time, yeah? Right now we've got to get you out of your clothes and into the tub."

"Sounds good. I don't think I can stand on my own just yet."

"I wouldn't have you do it on your own. I'll get in with you."

"Hmmm, nice." Eye Patch smiled. Connor reached up and slipped the patch away from his dead eye, caressing the scar with his thumb before cupping the other man's face briefly before returning to the task at hand. He tossed the patch aside and then undid the jacket and pulled it down and off. He hen stripped him of his overshirt and vest, wondering why they were torn.

"Fuck!" Connor exclaimed as soon as he beheld the massive wound that marred his lover's body. Four deeply grooved gashes had torn the skin for a length of at least ten inches across the man's chest, shoulder and neck. The wounds weren't bleeding profusely, but they had done and now were merely weeping blood and lymphatic fluid. "ABBY! Conn, why didn't you tell me you were injured!"

"It's not so bad, I barely feel 'em."

"Like hell you don't!" Abby came running in, and cried out loud when she saw the wound.

"That's it, you're going to the hospital!" Abby said firmly, storming over to the men.

"Would you two calm down, please!" Eye Patch groaned. "I don't want to go anywhere except bed."

"You need stitches, Connor!" Abby insisted.

"Fine, but you can do them yourself. I just... I'm tired, I'm in pain. I want a shower and bed. I'm not going to the hospital, alright?"

"No it's not bloody alright! You almost died out there. We've been out of our minds with worry for the past three days and you're ready to sit there and let a massive infection set in to kill you! I can't believe you!" With that she tossed the large plastic bags on the bathroom floor and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

"She'd mad," stated Eye Patch.

"Yah think?" replied Connor. "She's also right." They heard the sound of the front door slamming and the engine on the mini firing up and Abby racing away from the flat. Connor sighed and clenched his jaw. He shook off the worry that rose up in his belly. He'd let Abby cool off and if she wasn't back by the time they were done their shower he'd call her and convince her to come home. "Put your hands on my shoulders and pull yourself up, got to get your trousers and boxers off." Eye Patch did as he was asked and together they removed the rest of his clothes. Connor rose and turned on the shower to a moderately hot temperature. Connor stripped himself bare quickly before helping his mate to his feet and with his arms around his waist, guided him into the tub and under the hot spray of the shower. Eye Patch slumped against Connor, resting his arms over his and hugging him while the heat suffused him and the water rinsed away the caked on layers of Yeti blood and his own. The water stung at his wounds, but also cleaned away the filth. The wounds would need stitches, but they weren't so deep that the blood started to flow again. He'd been lucky.

"You okay?" Connor asked quietly. The man in his arms nodded and held him tighter.

"Thanks for coming for me," he replied against Connor's ear. "I know it took a lot."

"You don't know the half of it. I'll tell you tomorrow. I need to wash your hair, there's lots of blood in it." Carefully Connor shampooed Eye Patch's hair and guided him under the water to rinse it. Eye Patch just held Connor around his waist and lost himself in the sensations of being cared for and washed. When they were clean, they stayed under the water and slowly but surely their strength and vitality returned. They were pressed tightly together, fully body to body.

"I don't think you understand me yet," Connor said suddenly. "I don't think you realize exactly how I feel about you. I've told you I loved you, but I'm not sure you believe me. I think you think that we're just making room for you in our lives, that you're somehow not an equal in the relationship. I trudged through miles of desolate frozen wilderness after you, not knowing if you were dead or alive or if I'd even find you. I told Abby that I wasn't coming back without you and I meant it. I was going to keep looking for you until I died from hypothermia or until something else finished me off. I carried you for miles as I damn near froze and would've kept on carrying you until I dropped dead from exhaustion. I would've taken on the damn Wampa or Yeti or whatever it was with my bare hands to save you. Connor, I _love_ you. I love you with every part of me."

"I... I..." Connor grasped the back of Eye Patch's neck and the older man stood taller to meet his lover's eyes. He could barely speak, so overwhelmed with the emotion stirred up by Connor's words, but he forced himself to reply. "I love you." Connor kissed his cheek and smiled. They turned off the water and Eye Patch let Connor continue to care for him and let him dry him off. They heard the sounds of Abby returning home and Eye Patch sat himself down on the toilet again, wrapped in a towel, while Connor pulled on his robe and exited the bathroom. A few minutes later Abby entered with a glass of water and a plastic bag full of supplies from the 24h chemist shop. She handed him the glass of water and he downed all of it, knowing he was dehydrated and Abby would probably bite his head off if he didn't. She still looked tense and upset and he wasn't sure if there was anything he could say to change that. She took out the contents of the bag and lay them out on the vanity. She'd got sterile bandages, as well as needles special for stitching wounds and the right kind of thread. Mercifully she got the disinfecting spray that also dulled the pain. He watched her unwrap and put on sterile latex gloves, then thread the tiny curved needle she'd be stitching him up with. She wasn't looking at him and he found himself silently pleading that she would. The affirmation he'd received from Connor made him feel a strange mix of comfort and fear. To know that he was so deeply loved was unsettling. He believed in soul mates, especially since losing his, but he never dared hope he'd have another out there in the universe, let alone two. Connor had showed him the depth of the love the two of them shared and Eye Patch saw it between his two lovers. He had to know if Abby truly felt for him as he did for her.

tbc...

_Is everyone on vacation? It's like a ghost town review wise! But I thank those who have ever so much :)_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Abby got to work on him, sterilizing the wounds and stitching them up, delicate and neat. It took the better part of an hour and a half, but she did a perfect job. He winced and hissed, but didn't complain. She bandaged him, then wrapped his shoulder, chest and neck with another layer of gauze to keep everything covered and in in place. She hadn't spoken a single word to him the whole time. She turned away and started to clean up and the silence was killing him.

"Good thing you think my scars are sexy, huh?" he laughed, knowing immediately after the words escaped his mouth it was the wrong thing to say. Abby dropped everything and buried her face in her hands as she burst into sobs. He rose from his seat and staggered over to her, quickly pulling her into his arms. "Shhhh, love. M'sorry, that was stupid of me." She wrapped her arms around his waist and cried against his chest while he stroked her hair. He'd mentioned once long ago that his other Abby had let her hair grow and how much he used to love running it through his fingers. Since then she'd been letting it grow and now it was down to her shoulders. "Don't cry, love."

"Do you have any idea how scared I was? Any at all?" she sniffled as she looked up at him. Even though his lips were rough from the exposure to the cold, he kissed her. It was brief, as his lips did hurt, but it made Abby smile.

"Starting to. You have to understand Abbs, I'm lost when it comes to this, being in love. With the other... the other Abby it was easy. We only had a few moments each day when we rested or slept and we packed everything into 'em, every bit of comfort for our fear and sadness, all our love, especially our love. We didn't concern ourselves with domestics or day to day life and definitely not our future. There was too much tragedy on daily basis to be anything but thankful for what little time we had together. We never knew who was going to die the next day and one day it was my Abby. After her, I lost faith in things like love, like living. I was a zombie. Stephen helped, but... nothing really mattered. I suppose I stuck around because of Eva, ridiculous as it is..."

"It's not."

"Yeah, well, this whole bloody mess of the past few days could've been avoided if I'd just left her to her own devices."

"You couldn't have done that. That's not you."

"But it was me, love, that's what I'm trying to say. My life was worthless."

"Not to me! Not to Connor."

"I see that now. But it wasn't until I escaped to this side, until you welcomed me in. I was going to kill myself." Abby gasped and trembled, her eyes widening with shock. "Sweetheart, I had nothing left to live for. It was either that or get torn apart by Future Predators. But also... I was ready. As far as I knew I was the last man on Earth. I'd done all I could and it hadn't been good enough. Everyone and everything I ever cared about was gone except my dog. Then you were there at the hospital, claiming me as yours, taking me into your home... you n' Conn, you saved me. You've made me want to live again. I wasn't ready to die this last time, but I thought I was going to. I thought about things, about you n' Connor and the life we're living here. Thought about my place in your lives. It was a comfort to think you had each other and you'd be able to pick up the pieces."

"And you wonder why I get so mad at you something. You. Are. An. Idiot." She punctuated each word with a jab of her finger into the center of his chest. It hurt and he cowered. She let go of him and started pacing and to fume again. She noticed how gross and bloody her clothes were and tore off her jacket, hoody and tshirt until her upper body was clad in just her bra. She went to the sink and washed off the blood that had seeped through and stained her skin. "You look at yourself in the mirror and see those scars all over your body and especially your eye and you think you look like Frankenstein. I catch you with that look on your face, the one where you're ashamed. But Conn, when look at you and my heart just melts. You are _so_ beautiful. Every cell in my body just hums with desire when you smile at me. All you have to do is it touch my hand and I want to drop everything and kiss you until I can't breathe. When you get hurt... " Her voice hitched and tears began to spill from her eyes again. "When you get hurt, I _feel_ it. I almost lost both of you today. If anything happened to either of you... if anything happened to _you_, I'd die inside. Don't you know how much I love you?" He'd lived so long on a razor's edge, always in fear, always hungry for his next meal and always mourning someone who the day before had been at his side. He'd lost the love of his life in the most horrible way. Everything good in his life had been taken away from him. Everyone he loved died. Maybe he didn't know. Abby guided him to sit back down. He watched as she slowly removed the rest of her clothing until she was nude before him. She wanted to show him her vulnerability. She knelt in front of him and took his hands in hers. "Connor, you know I'm usually terrible with words and that I have a short temper, obviously. I get mad like I do because I'm scared of losing you and I don't know what to do with that fear so it comes out as anger. What can I do to show you how much you mean to me? How much I love you?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course you can. You can ask me anything."

"If this was a good world and the three of us were free from... from everything. If all we had to worry about was how to pay the bills and what to have for Sunday dinner... would you... do you think... god, you already think I'm an idiot, this'll just cement it."

"Connor, I won't."

"Abby, would you want to have my baby? I'm not suggesting it! I know our lives are too dangerous, but if they weren't... would you maybe consider it?" She'd never really thought about it. She liked children for the most part and every now again she'd see an adorable infant with its mother and for a split second she'd replace the image with herself and a child she'd have with her Connors. But she never let it go further than that. She'd be scared to be a mum, having had such a terrible example for one. At least she'd know what mistakes not to make, and she'd have two wonderful men to support her. He was right, their lives were too dangerous, but the yearning was there, however deep she'd buried it. She met his nervous gaze and squeezed his hands. Her answer would hopefully be what he needed to reassure his place in her life.

"I would. In a heartbeat." He smiled and laughed bit, nodding his head in acceptance.

"Thanks. I just wanted to know. You see, my Abby n' me... we had to make a choice when we knew things weren't going to get better. She submitted to... um... the doctor we had... he made it so she couldn't get pregnant. It broke her heart... mine too."

"I'm _so_ sorry. Oh Conn, you've lost so much, haven't you? I know how much you loved her... but I am _your _Abby. Can't you think of me like that too?"

"I do, love, honestly... it's just hard sometimes. I don't want to forget her."

"That'll never happen. Never. She's a part of you. She was your Abby, and so am I. Can you tell me? I want to hear you say the words."

"Your _my_ Abby, and I love you."

"I love you too. Maybe someday it could happen, a baby that is. If we ever find a way to accurately predict anomalies and can close them, life would get a lot simpler. Between you and Connor you could probably make it happen. You should try, now that you've got a nice incentive."

"Yeah... yeah, love, maybe we will." Abby let go of his hands and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Let's go to bed, hmm? We all need some proper rest, and _you_ need some extra attention tonight. We have important things to take care of tomorrow."

"Important things? Like what?"

"Nevermind for now. It'll keep." She rose to her feet and brought him up with her. First she applied a salve to his lips to help restore them before securing herself to his side in order to help him go the distance from the bathroom to the bedroom where Connor awaited them. He'd already turned down the bed and was seated on his side, just waiting. He stood up and cast off his robe and lay back against the propped up pillows. Eye Patch eased down to the mattress and with their help took Abby's usual spot in the middle, resting with his back against Connor's chest. Abby came to his side and snuggled against him, laying her head on the uninjured side of his chest. The covers were pulled up over their torsos and they held each other for a long stretch of time, until they all felt a lovely bone deep warmth course through them.

It started innocently enough. Eye Patch began stroking Abby's hair and Connor nuzzled behind his ear, inhaling the clean manly scent. Then Connor began to kiss his neck and Abby's lips brushed against Eye Patch's nipple before she laved it with her tongue. Abby's hand stroked against his hip under the covers and Connor gently sunk his teeth into Eye Patch's neck. They continued to touch, kiss and tease him until the three of them were highly aroused. When Abby made a motion to duck under the covers to give his rising erection her attention, he stopped her with his hand on her shoulder.

"I want to watch the two of you," he said hoarsely. He looked between the two of them. "Please? Lay back Abby." After all he'd been through, neither were about to ignore his request. Abby did as he bade and lay down, pulling the covers off and exposing her nude body. Connor slipped from behind Eye Patch, easing the other man back against the pillows before crawling over him and on top of Abby. Eye Patch slid his hand over her inner thigh and opened her up so he could watch Connor's cock enter her. Abby's eyes fluttered closed as she felt Connor fill her up. She sighed and bucked her hips up to take him to the hilt. Eye Patch's hand caressed her thigh and he watched, completely hypnotized, as Connor withdrew and sheathed himself again, and again, and again. Eye Patch watched intently at the hard length disappear inside her, to emerge slicked and shiny with her juices. He listened to Connor huffs of breath and his grunts as he thrust, his eyes alternately watching Abby's face to judge her pleasure and to Eye Patch, whose look of rapture and hunger as he watched them, served to fuel his actions.

Meanwhile Abby was utterly overcome. She'd always found being watched to be a major turn on, especially in so intimate a setting. Being fucked by one Connor while the other encourage them on had her practically flying towards her climax. Eye Patch's hand abandoned her thigh after he'd watched their joining for several minutes and it moved in between them, finding the hard, slippery bud of her clit and rubbing it in circles. With a look to Connor they seemed to communicate without words and moments later their mouths closed over each of her nipples. The first time they'd done this she'd orgasmed almost straight away, it was so unexpected and intense a sensation to have both breasts suckled upon at once. The laving of their tongues and the urgent tugs with their mouths over her breasts sent shocks straight to her core. At this point she was void of cohesive thought. She moved in a frenzy, writhing and jerking as Connor did the same and Eye Patch's hand between them helped them along. She moaned loudly as she came, fisting her hands in their hair. Her climax amplified when she felt Connor release inside her and it carried on for quite some time. When she regained her senses she found Connor had gone heavy on her and was busy engaged in a fiery kiss with his counterpart. When they parted, Eye Patched kissed her with equal intensity.

"You're so beautiful together," whispered Eye Patch.

"But we're nothing without you," said Connor.

"He's right, Conn," echoed Abby, reaching up to caress the side of Eye Patch's face. "We can't live without you, please believe us." He leaned in the kissed them both again.

"I do believe you. Don't worry. I think I understand now, what we are. I'll do everything to protect it." Abby and Connor shared a glance and smile before separating and moving carefully over to their third. He was a little taken by surprise, but soon submitted when their hands both curled around and gripped his hardness. He'd been intent on ignoring his own arousal, satisfied in beholding theirs, but he soon changed his mind. He settled down into the mattress and pillows as dual tongues began to lick wetly up and down the length of him. Connor and Abby took turns taking him in their mouths, each one bringing him to the edge of exploding, but pulling back to give the other another turn. In the end, Abby earned the privileged of being the one to capture his final release as he came with shudder and a cry. She swallowed down his semen and licked her lips like a cat who got the cream before grabbing Connor by the back of the neck and pulling her to him, kissing him deeply so he could taste the flavour on her tongue.

The trio returned to their original positions, with Eye Patch relaxing against Connor's chest and Abby snuggled at his side. He kissed the top of Abby's head, resuming the stroking of her golden hair while Connor kissed his cheek goodnight and enfolded them both in his arms. Cradled between his two loves, Eye Patch finally let go of the turmoil and sadness of the past he'd been carrying with him . He locked away the beautiful loving memories of the other Abby in the special place in his heart reserved for only her. Stephen was in there too, along with Nick Cutter, his mum and all the others he'd lost. He stayed awake for quite some time, long after the other two had drifted off. He wanted to savour them and bask in their warmth and their love. While there were no guarantees about how their future would be shaped, he knew it now and knew it completely that he belonged with them. He'd spend every day to come making sure they were safe. He would do everything within his power to never give them cause to regret taking him in.

tbc... one last part to come!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Shortly before dawn, Eye Patch awoke, feeling the call of nature. Abby had made him drink a giant glass of water before bed, so it was no surprise. His two lovers lay sprawled on either side of him in deep sleep. He slowly and methodically inched his way to the end of the bed and got to his feet. He felt much stronger than he had hours before. He found and pulled on Connor's robe, securing the belt around his middle. He padded across the hall to the bathroom. Afterwards as he washed his hands in the sink, he looked up and stared at himself. Abby was right, he did see a quasimodo face... but she didn't. She thought he was handsome and sexy. She and Connor both kissed the giant scar across his face all the time. When they looked at him he caught them doing it, they blushed. They worshipped his body and every scar on it, and there were certainly dozens to chose from. There were bullet wounds, slashes from creature claws, cuts from sheets of metal or glass and even bite marks. Abby and Connor never shied away from him or his body. They behaved the opposite. Maybe he wasn't a monster, but instead, perhaps more of a handsome rogue. Maybe he was more of a Han Solo than he gave himself credit for? He couldn't help but smile a little at his reflection. Definitely a handsome rogue.

He exited the bathroom intent on crawling back into bed, when he heard a tiny whimper from underneath the stairs. He turned on the light in the hallway and there cowering in the corner was Eva. At first he wondered if she was hurt too and no one had noticed, but when he got down on his knees and called her over he saw what the problem was. She was afraid. He crawled over to her and she whimpered again, hiding her eyes under her paw with her ears flattened back. It wasn't until he began to stroke the top of her head that she showed some signs of life. He knew the _puppy dog eyes_ gimic well and truly, Connor used it all the time and Abby had accused him of it. Eva was using it on him now. He leaned back against the wall and patted his thigh. She inched closer and rested her chin on his leg. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and patted her.

"Stupid ol' bitch," he grumbled. "Feeling guilty are you?" Eva whimpered and rolled on to her back, exposing her belly. He scratched her chest and her tail began to wag. "Let's get one thing straight, you miserable mutt. I'm the boss in this relationship. You listen to _me_ and you certainly don't go running through anomalies on your own! Hear me?" Eve rumbled in affirmation. "But thanks for helping get me back, even though it was your fault I got lost in the first place. I appreciate it. And... and... and I love you. Stupid dog." It was a lot tougher getting up than it had been to get down, but he leaned on Eva and managed it. With a pat to her rump, he sent her on upstairs to her bed, her tail wagging the whole way. With a sigh he returned to the bedroom. Connor and Abby were still fast asleep. He took off the robe and crawled back to his spot in the middle. He was going to savour it whilst he could. After he was healed up he knew Abby would reclaim it. It was prime real estate in the flat. He sunk into the mattress again with a groan. He should have thought to take some pain killers.

"You okay?" came Connor's quiet whisper beside him. Eye Patch looked over and saw the concerned look on the other man's face. Connor inched closer and closed his hand around his lover's.

"Right as rain. Just needed the loo. Go back to sleep." Connor nodded sleepily and and moved his head on to Eye Patch's pillow, closing his eyes and slipping back under, but keeping a firm grip on his hand. A few minutes later Abby rolled over and sought him out, still deep in slumber. She formed her body to his side, her leg slipping between his and her arm going around his middle. She settled her head on his good shoulder and sighed, falling into a deeper slumber. Eye Patch smiled to himself. He was finally where he belonged.

As he quickly learned, Eye Patch's sole responsibility for the day was to be thoroughly spoiled, pampered and worshipped. He'd wakened to a repeat of the night before, with both Connor and Abby wishing him a good morning by ducking their heads under the covers and giving him the best blow job of his life. A bloke could get used to this sort of treatment. Connor made them a full English breakfast on account of Abby still being a useless cook, despite her Connors attempts at teaching her. She could however make a great cup of coffee. After breakfast they'd ensconced themselves on the couch on either side of him for a cuddle marathon. In the early afternoon Abby changed his dressing, pleased to see that there was no sign of infection. It would be a few weeks before the stitches came out, so he'd need help bathing in order to keep them dry, but he was actually looking forward to sharing the baths and having them wash his hair.

The early afternoon consisted of them getting rather randy and him seated on the couch with Abby bouncing on his hard cock facing away from him as she sucked off Connor. He'd _loved_ that. Hanging around the flat in the nude or little more than a pair of boxers or in Abby's case, just her knickers, was rather provocative afterall. By late afternoon, and several sexual configurations later (as many as Eye Patch could accommodate with his injury), the trio settled down on the couch once more, this time with Connor in the middle and with his laptop. Eye Patch had his arm around Connor's shoulder, toying with Abby's hair as she rested her head against Connor. They were all warm and comfortable.

"So, to the final phase of our plan, eh Abbs?" said Connor as started up one of the self written software programs on his computer.

"Finally!" replied Abby. "I've been looking forward to this for days. I do love a good dose of karma!"

"Anyone care to share? You both look like the cat who got the canary," asked Eye Patch.

"All in good time my love, got to hack into the The Swiss National Bank first," replied Connor with a huge grin.

"Excuse me?"

"Won't take long. Their system is very good, but I'm better."

"What if you're tracked!"

"Well, I won't be, but if I was I've rerouted the trail seven times. As far as they'd be concerned I'm in Florida."

"I hope you're right."

"I am. It'll be fine. Trust me."

"I do, implicitly, but this is dangerous Conn."

"But fun! So much fun. Okay I'm in, just gotta locate the right account."

"Whose?"

"Philip Burton," provided Abby. "He wouldn't let us go after you. He said it was too risky and too expensive. Connor threw a chair through his office window and isn't allowed back in the ARC."

"Bloody hell! He's worse than Lester ever was. So we're stealing his money?"

"Nope. Donating it."

"There, it's done!" said Connor proudly. "Doctor Philip Burton's ten billion dollar fortune has been transferred to the holdings for the European branch of UNICEF."

"That's very magnanimous of him," said Eye Patch dryly.

"He'll be fine, he's still go a few million in the Bank of England. Of course he won't be able to fund the ARC any longer. Good thing I changed the numbers on the Minister's budget for the coming year."

"Burton won't be able to oversee things either ... not with all his new charitable commitments. Have you sent the press release yet?" asked Abby.

"Done and done!"

"And what pray tell is in the press release?" Eye Patch inquired, growing every more amazed at his partners.

"Oh not much. It's short and sweet. We'll have to remember to tune in to the news tonight. I betcha it'll be the lead story. _British billionaire gives up fortune to help the world's underprivileged children_. He's all about image of course, so it's not like he'll tell UNICEF he wants the money back. He won't have time to bother with his little project mucking up the ARC after this."

"You're brilliant, have I told you that lately?" Eye Patch leaned in and kissed Connor sweetly on the mouth. "And that I love you?"

"You can say it again, I don't mind."

"I love you, both of you. Thank you again."

"Always, love. Always."

"Now that our little plan has concluded, I have another one you two can start on," said Abby, taking Connor's computer away and placing it on the coffee table before crawling into his lap with her legs across Eye Patch's.

"You mean what we talked about last night?" asked Eye Patch, with his hand gliding up the length of her leg.

"What have you two been cooking up?" asked Connor.

"You'll like it, don't worry." Eye Patch captured Connor mouth for a fiery kiss. The revelation of his and Abby's plan was put on hold until much later that night as things got quite heated quite quickly and they all but raced to the bedroom for a rather pleasurable afternoon in bed. When Connor eventually did learn what his loves had discussed he immediately got to work on his theories. Abby spent the time after dinner taking Eva for her walk, then napping in the arm chair, quite tired from the day's activities. He sat across from them in his own chair, just watching and feeling overwhelmingly grateful.

"Hey, can I get your opinion?" asked Connor. Eye Patch broke out of his trance and moved over next to Connor, looking over what he'd been working on. "You see, the opening and closing of anomalies is all but perfected, as the test with getting you back showed. With a few modifications I think I could construct a device that opens and closes them at will, so long as we've got coordinates to pinpoint the anomalies."

"Which as we know are in the artifact," replied Eye Patch. "Conn, we've got to get serious about this. Whatever you did that first time with the light to open it, you _have _ to duplicate it. If we can extract that time map we can do it... we'll be able to control and predict anomalies. Then we could... " He paused and looked over at the sleeping Abby, then at Connor, who smiled at him before looking over at Abby himself.

"Yeah, we could."

The End

_Well, that's all folks! For now at least. Rumour has it that Iellix might write some more in this 'verse (omg yay!)._


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